Abstract

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An ethnopharmacological survey was conducted in two villages of Rungwe district, Mbeya Region, Tanzania. In this area, the use of plants for the treatment of various diseases is still very high, especially infectious diseases which are endemic in the tropical countries and leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Information was obtained from one traditional healer and two other experienced persons, having some knowledge on medicinal plants. A total of twenty plants were reported for use in the treatment of various infectious conditions and were documented during the field study. These plants belong to 18 genera and 11 families of which Asteraceae was the most represented. Amongst uses of various phytoorgans, leaves ranked highest, the most used method of preparation being decoction (57%). The most frequently mentioned route of administration was oral. The plants recorded for treating chronic infectious conditions amounted to 38%. It was found out that, people in this area commonly use medicinal plants with trust they have built on the curative outcome witnessed. However, this creates a further work to test for the antimicrobial activity and standardization of herbal preparation if these plants proven to be safe.

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